Naples man creates website for volunteer school marshals

Reporter: Lauren Leslie Writer: Paul Dolan
Published: Updated:
School marshal
School marshals idea could help prevent future school shootings. (CREDIT: WINK News)

A man in Naples has taken keeping kids safe in schools into his own hands with a website for volunteers to sign up to be school marshals.

The idea is that retired law enforcement officials, veterans, and military members would volunteer to stand watch over schools. The idea is getting a lot of response following the Uvalde school massacre.

Child-sized caskets, rosaries, bouquets, and many tears as funerals started Tuesday for victims of the Uvalde school shooting.

Two days after the Uvalde tragedy, a website was created. The goal is to keep children safe in school.

Managing Partner, Veteran Recruiting, Kevin O’Brien, said “this time around I said instead of talking about it I’m just going to do it. So we stood up the website last Thursday: schoolmarshals.org and so far it’s taken on a life of its own already which I think is a great thing but a sad thing that so many citizens feel like something like this is actually needed.”

So far, there have been more mass shootings in America than there have been days this year.

“I think it’s 18, from the Naples area,” O’Brien said. “A nice mix of men, women, veterans, law-enforcement just ordinary citizens I mean I think there’s so many people that recognize something needs to be done here.”

Simple, well-intentioned, and trying to help where it is desperately needed.

State statute requires safe-school officers at all public and charter schools. Although, the requirements are extremely rigid. In Collier County, law enforcement officers are at every single school every day. To have school marshals would mean laws would have to change. It’s something O’Brien hopes is coming for the kids.

“If someone wants to step up and you might not get called. Schools may say it’s too hard to deploy something like this but I think if we can demonstrate that enough people are willing to do it if our elected officials won’t, maybe that’s the wake-up call that they need to realize they do need to act,” O’Brien said.

A lot of parameters are in place to keep students safe.

For more information about signing up to be a school marshal click here and see their website.

The Executive Director, Communications & Community Engagement for Collier County Public Schools, Chad Oliver released this statement below.

We rely on law enforcement personnel on our 50+ campuses all day, every day. CCPS Superintendent Dr. Kamela Patton regularly speaks directly with Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk regarding school campus security, including as recently as last week. We are thankful for our partnership with local law enforcement — Collier County Sheriff’s Office, Naples Police Department, and Marco Island Police Department — to assign youth relations deputies on our school campuses for more than 40 years.

Last week, our district leaders met with all school-based leaders – principals and assistant principals – to discuss many topics during this final stretch of the school year. During that conversation we reviewed layers of security in place within Collier County Public Schools. We take a layered approach to reduce the chance of dangerous situations at our schools and district buildings.

Here are some of the layers in place:

  • Law enforcement personnel are on our campuses all day, every day
  • We operate single points of entry at all schools
  • We installed video doorbells to allow front doors to remain locked at all schools
  • Classroom doors remain locked
  • Classroom door windows are covered
  • We assess every single classroom in conjunction with law enforcement
  • All staff have the ability to call for a lockdown
  • Students at all schools have id badges
  • We have school threat assessment teams at every school
  • Backpacks and large bags aren’t allowed at athletic events
  • All first responders have key access to our campuses during an emergency

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